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BEVERLY HILLS VOLUME: L
NUMBER 37
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SINCE 1965
September 11, 2015
THIS ISSUE
Dawson leads this week’s Freshpet Adoptable Pets of the Week. 4
MAIL WASTELAND — This was the scene at the bulk mail area of the Maple Post Office Thursday morning. The Courier found dozens of bins filled with mail to be thrown in the trash. Courier photo by Victoria Talbot
Alert! Your Missing Mail May Be Destroyed At Maple Post Office Salvatore Ferragamo celebrated 100 years in Hollywood Wednesday night on Rodeo Drive. 8
Olivia Krevoy talks fashion, food and fun for local teenagers. 9
Mayor Julian Gold held the annual ‘State Of The City’ address Wednesday. 19 •Real Estate •Birthdays •Letters to the Editor
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Postal Workers Union President Sonia Canchola says Beverly Hills Post Office is “the worst.” By Victoria Talbot Union Local president Sonia Canchola contacted The Courier to respond to Postmaster Koula Fuller. In her letter last week, Fuller had written, “I can assure you that all mail coming into the Beverly Hills Post Office from the processing plant that services us is delivered each and every day. No mail is left behind, stored or carried over to another day.” At Canchola’s suggestion, The Courier visited the local post office at 325 N. Maple Drive where we discovered numerous bins filled with mail slated to be thrown into the trash. According to Canchola,
If you believe you are missing mail, head to the Maple Post Office at 325 N. Maple Drive immediately and ask to be taken to the back where bins are filled with undelivered mail.
maintenance workers refused to throw it out, knowing that this is not the proper way to dispose of undelivered mail. Labeled as bulk mail, the bins also held first class parcels and letters. Some were open. Some dated to early June. Letters included bank statements and DMV materials. The postal service is not (see ‘POST OFFICE’ page 11)
Beverly Hills Elder: Renee Firestone – Holocaust Survivor, Educator, Designer Part 52 in a series on Beverly Hills residents who have grown with the Centennial City
George Christy, Page 6 Sherry Lansing and Billy Friedkin Celebrated The Publication Of Brian Kellow’s Biography Of Sue Mengers With A Festive Drinks Party At Their Luxurious Residence In Bel-Air
CLASSIFIEDS • Announcements • Real Estate • Rentals • Sales • and More
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By Laura Coleman At 91 years old, Renee Firestone said she asks herself everyday, just why she is still alive. Her white hair is a radiant crown, sheltering brilliant topaz eyes that sparkle with kindness and compassion, and she’s committed to doing what she can to make the world a better place. “It’s all miracles,” she says of her life that took her from her childhood home in Czechoslovakia, to the Nazi death camp Auschwitz in Poland and ultimately to Beverly Hills. Along the way, she learned to survive, accept the miraculous amidst tragedy and became a fashion designer, whose pieces are now part of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s permanent collection. And for the
Renee Firestone
past 38 years, she has devoted her life to educating others on the Holocaust. “We need people to speak up and help those who are in trouble,” she says. “Be kind to others and help wherever we can.” After World War II ended, (see ‘RENEE FIRESTONE’ page 18)
GOING TO THE DOGS — Local dog owners brought their canine companions to Tuesday’s site visit. Courier photo by Victoria Talbot
By Victoria Talbot The Beverly Hills Dog Park began to take shape Tuesday in a marathon session of the Recreation and Parks Commission (RPC) that began at the proposed site and ended with a 4-hour session to hash out details that will be presented to the City Council soon. Following direction from the City Council, the RPC met at City Hall to be shuttled to the site. However, the shuttle did not materialize. Undeterred, the group either walked or drove to the site at the corner of Alden Drive and Foothill Road shortly after 9 a.m.,
meeting about 50 enthusiastic dog-lovers and dogs, and some congregants of the local synagogues, who were not so enthusiastic about the proposed location. Assistant Director of Community Services Nancy Hunt Coffey pointed out the site’s perimeter and sketched out development proposals. Then the group reconvened at City Hall to start the meeting. Several issues were discussed about the details of the proposed park, against the backdrop of a small, but vocal group of synagogues and (see ‘DOG PARK’ page 17)
BHUSD ‘Fiscally Healthy’ As New School Year Begins By Matt Lopez Christmas came a little early for the Beverly Hills Unified School District on Tuesday when it learned it’s doing better than it originally thought financially. On Tuesday, BHUSD’s Chief Administrative Officer LaTanya Kirk-Carter presented the Board of Education with unaudited actuals (which include all revenue accrued, expenditures paid/accrued, goods received and services rendered through June 30, 2015), that will be submitted to the L.A. County Office of Education for review.
Celebrity Photo Agency/Scott Downie
Chris and Anita Rovtar took The Courier with them to Cote d’Azur last month. 5
Beverly Hills Dog Park Moves One Step Closer
The report paints a picture of a financially healthy district – the district’s General Fund balance ended at $3.7 million, an increase of $376,007 from the estimated actuals approved by the school board in June. “That’s $868,000 better than we estimated,” KirkCarter said. “We’re going into the fiscal year with a very healthy beginning balance.” The district currently shows $2.7 million in deficit spending, but Kirk-Carter said that will change when a new budget is submitted Oct. 31. (see ‘BHUSD FINANCES’ page 19)
PAMELA WITH H E R B O Y S — Dylan Jagger Lee, Pamela Anderson, B r a n d o n Thomas Lee during the The Hidden Heroes Gala presented by Mercy for Animals at Unici Casa. For more photos, see George Christy’s column on page 6.